Prevention of hamstring injuries - Part I

Prevention of hamstring injuries - Part I -

I worked with a college running back last summer contemplating leaving football because of chronic injuries hamstrings from high school and throughout his first two years of university. This young man had actually well-developed hamstrings, was exceptionally strong, and had a great flexibility hamstring. He should! He had worked on the strength of the hamstrings and stretch religiously for three years. Here's what he said to do again and again by his high school coach, team doctor college athletic trainer and strength coach.

muscle strains are not always the result of this muscle is tight or low. Many times, the injured muscle works fine right up to the causal event. What we need to do first is to look at injury mechanisms.

During sprinting or kicking, experiences hamstring stretch through the hip, as it flexes, and through the knee as it extends. Eccentric thigh resistance plays a role at this stage, the leg essentially deceleration to maximum length. There was an excellent article in the most recent NSCA Strength and Conditioning Journal (Brughelli M, J Cronin) on this very subject. They were essentially look the voltage curve of the length of the thigh and the location of the peak voltage of an athlete. Injuries tend to occur during the descending part of the curve, and what they found was that the injury reduction has coincided with the increase of the optimal length of thepeak tension. In other words, produce more voltage eccentric hamstring muscle lengths. There were several studies submitted to back this

A variety of eccentric hamstring strengthening exercises were given, see for details

My favorite: ..
Stability Ball hamstring Curls bridge +

Single Leg bridge + hamstring Curls

hips should remain extended throughout the loop portion of the lift. Hip extension is a secondary function of the group hamstring. This leads me to my next point.

A second mechanism of injury comes as lead foot athlete makes contact and should propel the athlete again. track athletes are often taught to "reach and pull" with the leg before increasing stride. Bad idea. It goes back to the voltage curve length again. The hamstrings are stretched to the maximum, and must perform maximum contraction to pull the body of sprinter on that leg. It is a concentric contraction at this point, but the hamstrings are passively insufficient, which means lying too to generate the appropriate force.

None of the exercises special needed here. Just form or rehab your athletes by teaching them "push" rather than "pull". This will allow the glutes and quads are involved in a greater measure load off the hamstring. the leg lead will now land properly on the athlete to the appropriate extension of the hip, greater stride and speed.

a third mechanism has to do with the synergistic domination. Many muscles are often responsible for some movement in this case we are talking about the extension of the hip. Synergistic domination involves a muscle on the other feed. Hip extension is supposed to be the work of buttocks but what often happens is that the hamstring muscle group becomes dominant. This does not at all what they were designed to do and are therefore more poorly worked. Thus, the athlete with strong hamstrings and chronic strains can really blame his weak glutes (Sahrmann).

Here are some simple tests to determine the thigh domination on the buttocks.
Prone Hip Extension (aka test the ignition system)
palpate glutes and hamstrings, ask the athlete to perform an elevation of the right leg. Glutes should shoot first, otherwise the athlete's hamstring dominant. You might find the athlete can not even voluntarily pull the glutes without kicking in the hamstring.

Double Leg Bridge

Feel glutes and hamstrings yet, ask the athlete to lift the hips. As before glutes and hamstrings shouldinitiate should provide minimal assistance. We've probably all had someone cramp in the hamstring muscles try a bridge. It is a problem. The athlete should really be able to contract the glutes and lift your hips with little or no participation hamstring at all.

So now that we have established hamstrings domination, how can we rewire athlete?

Double Leg Bridge with Foam Roller

roller passes under the thighs just above the knees. Have the athlete perform a glute first set, and then lift the hips. It is almost impossible to contract the hamstring muscles in this position.

Double Leg Bridge

athletes presses through the heels with toes up (which increases the contribution of the quad, but conversely inhibits hamstring). Squeeze glutes and lift hips, manually cue the athlete to keep the hamstrings off.

Single Leg Bridge

By pressing through the heel to the toes up. Then tighten glute raise again attempt to extinguish the hamstrings.

I will also have the job of the athlete time lying down in time as well try to contract the glutes first, then perform the hip extension. This can be done right or bent knee. If the knee is bent, the therapist or trainer should support the lower leg. If the athlete is really struggling with this press him have his leg in your hand to engage the quads and inhibit the hamstrings and tighten the glutes.

1. Brughelli M, J. Cronin prevent hamstring injuries in sport. NSCA Strength and Conditioning Journal. 08; 30: 55-64
2. Shirley Sahrman. "Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes." Mosby 02.

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Joe Heiler PT, CSCS

Joe Heiler MSPT is the owner and content manager SportsRehabExpert.com, a site dedicated to the advancement of education rehabilitation and performance professionals. The site focuses on orthopedic and sports physical therapy subjects through webinars, audio interviews, articles, manual therapy and exercise videos, and more.

Joe is also the owner of Elite Performance Physiotherapy and Sports in Traverse City, MI specializes in orthopedics and sports medicine, as well as training of athletic performance. It is Graston Technique (GT) and a certified instructor GT SFMA FMS and trained, and is passionate about a number of soft tissue and manual techniques, including Trigger Point Dry Needling and manipulation.

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